By Jeff Rubin The Newsletter Guy Is your company newsletter successful?

Newsletters are an important weapon in a marketer's arsenal. Follow these writing and design tips - I call this my "Successful Newsletter Checklist" - and your newsletter will achieve its long-term marketing goals: WHAT'S THE BENEFIT? Your customers are looking for solutions to their problems. Tell them how you can solve their problems in a cost-effective way.

SERVE...DON'T SELL Give your readers useful information, not a sales pitch. Educate and inform.

KEEP STORIES SHORT Good writing commands attention, even if your design is lacking in creativity.

AVOID CLICHES No expressions such as "a good time was had by all," or "it goes without saying," or "needless to say. Avoid jargon such as "take it to the next level," "out of the box," and my favorite, "going forward." In what other direction would you be going? AVOID MIXING TOO MANY TYPEFACES The general rule is one style for headlines and another for text.

LEARN BASIC DESIGN Nothing turns off a reader more than long dull columns of gray type. Focus your readers' attention with creative graphic elements - art, photos, boxes, screen tints. DON'T GET TOO FANCY WITH PRINTING Stay away from colored ink for text. Use a second and/or third color sparingly. Print your newsletter on an easy-to-read paper - white, off-white, light gray, beige, etc. Avoid red, green, blue, yellow, orange, etc. Glossy, uncoated or matte finishes are OK.

REPRINT POLICY: This article may be reprinted in your publication, company newsletter, etc., provided that you give a by-line (by Jeff Rubin) and print the following credit exactly as written. Please send a tear sheet or electronic copy.

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About the Author

Jeff Rubin, a former newspaper reporter and editor and instructor at The Learning Annex in San Francisco, is The Newsletter Guy, owner of the Pinole, California-based newsletter publishing firm of the same name (www.thenewsletterguy.com). He's written and designed more than 1,600 company newsletters since starting his business in 1981. He may be reached via e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at (877) 588-1212.